MGMT Minute: How To Steal Back Control of Your Calendar in 5 Simple Steps

Read time: 1 minute

Many leaders feel like they're at the mercy of their calendars.

But the truth? You have more control than you think.

While you can't always dictate which meetings you attend, you can absolutely control how you manage your time.

Here's your crash course in Calendar MGMT 101:

1. Block Your Mornings

• Reserve 2-3 hours in the AM to advance your most critical priorities

• No meetings, no calls - just focused productivity

• Protect this time fiercely

2. Shrink Meetings Aggressively

• Meetings are like water and will fill whatever space we give them

• Try every meeting at 2x speed (60 minutes becomes 30; 30 minutes 15)

• Create a real urgency by scheduling meetings back-to-back

3. Halve Your Meeting Frequency

• Ask: "Do we need to meet this often?"

• Weekly becomes bi-weekly, monthly becomes quarterly

• Set clear expectations to pursue more aggressive goals in between

4. Build In Buffers

• Add a 15-minute gap after 3 back-to-back meetings

• Use this time to prep, reflect, or simply breathe

• You're not a machine, so don't operate like one

5. Delegate Strategically

• Identify meetings where you're not the decision-maker

• Send a trusted team member in your place

• Empower them to represent the team

Remember, your calendar is a reflection of your priorities.
Make sure it's telling the right story.

Lead on,
Dave & Mar

PS - Want to supercharge these principles with AI? We recently walked through a calendar-enhancing process and several other manager challenges with 100s of leaders.

Prefer to join us live? We have another free 30-minute workshop next Tuesday:

• How AI Can 10x The Effectiveness of Your One-on-One Meetings

There are already more than 1000 leaders registered for this session so grab you seat before we have to shut down live access.

PPS - MGMT Fundamentals is filling up fast. In an hour a day over two weeks, we’ll teach you the foundational skills to not just survive but thrive in your new leadership role. Ideal for managers in the first 3 years leading a team.